Chilean Fjords & Rapa Nui

We met our guide today his name is Teatahalo Tuki, called Teata and pronounced ‘Tee-at-a’. Seems a nice enough guy, apparently independent and good English which is a Godsend!

Manutara the annual visit of these birds to Moto Nui in September marked the beginning of the Birdman Ritual. The men from each tribe were to scramble down a hillock which led to a steep precipice climb down and then swim the mile to Moto Nui, then scale the cliffs and collect the Manutara egg. Holding this in a special pouch held on their forehead they climbed back down the cliff swam back to Rapa Nui to climb back up the sheer rock face to ‘the village’, which is the point the Birdman Ritual commences and finishes. The first one back, with an unbroken egg, earned their Clan Chief the right to rule Rapa Nui for one year. All clans were expected to pay homepage and abide by the ruling of the Tangata-Manu (winning Clan Chief)

Once the Tangata-Manu was determined, he lived in isolation for the period attended only by the Ivi Matuia. There were several ‘Tapu’, or prohibitions, surrounding him:

* Nobody could approach or look at him
* Only the Ivi Matua could provide him with food or bathe him
* He couldn’t wash himself, or cut his hair and nails

The Birdman is a ‘ceremonial’ village, of 53 houses, was only occupied during the competition, each tribe had their own ‘house’ in which the Clan representatives resided during the Birdman Ritual, they were uninhabited for the remainder of the year

On our way round Lainey slipped on the pathway, which was plastic filled with rubble, commonly called a Gravel Grid, and was clearly a bit shocked but felt ok to continue after a brief pause…Leer más